Blair Worden - A Book of Friendship

PAUL SEAWARD

Another pamphlet containing speeches supposedly made by Dorset in favour of the peace emerged from the press a few days later, dated 2 January by Thomason. 17 The piece was perhaps again intended to suggest that a policy of accommodation was gaining the upper hand in Oxford. A couple of weeks afterwards a fourth imposture appeared, purporting to be a speech delivered by the Marquess of Hertford in council on 14th January. Attributed to one of the most prominent advocates of peace at Oxford, it sets out the difficulties the king will have in waging war against parliament, the strengths of his opponents’ case, and calls for a ‘sudden accommodation’. 18 And then a few days later (Thomason dates his copy 23 January) a fifth pamphlet, ostensibly by Dorset, was published, pretending to be in support of ‘propositions for peace’. David Smith recognized that the text reproduced a speech attributed to (and disavowed by) the Duke of Richmond and Lennox in 1639. 19 Hyde’s own Two Speeches appeared in the middle of the debates, real and shadow, on the propositions for peace: Thomason wrote ‘10th Jan.’ on the title page. It mimics not only Pembroke and Brooke personally, but also the format and purpose of the original Bristol/Dorset pamphlet. Hyde knew Pembroke well, a relationship presumably based on family proximity and association in and around Salisbury: among Clarendon’s papers is a wary but very respectful correspondence between him and the earl, and the earl’s son Lord Herbert, in June and August 1642 in which Hyde attempts to pull them over to the royal camp, and they do their best to avoid it while expressing their loyalty to the king and their determination to join him when the time is right. 20 Hyde had, he later wrote, ‘great kindness’ for Pembroke, at least ‘whilst he had any hope of reclaiming him, and even when that was desperate was never without a desire to serve him, having been formerly beholding to him for many civilities when there was so great a distance between their conditions’. 21 17 Two Speeches Spoken at Oxford, by the Right Honourable Edward, Earle of Dorset, before His Majesty, and the Lords of His Privy Councell. The one, At his receiving the Office of Lord Privy Seale. The other, At his being made President of HIs Majesties Councell. Shewing his good affection to the Parliament, and the whole State of this Kingdome (Oxford by Leonard Lichfield, re-printed at London for Edward Hartley; Madan 1155 – though Madan says ‘the supposed Oxford edition probably does not exist’; Wing D1952; Thomason E83[45], dated 2 January 1643 by Thomason); David Smith points out that since Dorset never acquired either office mentioned in the title, this cannot be genuine, although Manchester’s death in November 1642 certainly left the office of Lord Privy Seal vacant and the Lord Presidency had not been occupied since Viscount Conway’s death in 1628: “The more posed and wise advice”, 815, n. 114. 18 A Speech delivered by the right honourable William Lord Marquesse Hartford, in the Councell-chamber at Oxford, to the Kings most Excellent Maesty, and the Lords of His Privie Councell, on Saturday January 14. 1642 (London, for Henry Benson, Jan. 20, 1642[3]; Madan, 1198; Thomason E85(31); Wing S4651). 19 The Earle of Dorset His Speech for Propositions of Peace. Delivered to His Majesty at Oxford, on January 18 (London, 1642[3]: Madan, 1200; Thomason E85[44]; Wing, D1951; dated 23 January by Thomason); David Smith, “The more posed and wise advice”, 815, n. 114. 20 Richard Scrope, ed., State Papers Collected by Edward Earl of Clarendon: Volume the Second (Oxford, 1773), 144-9. 21 The History of the Rebellion , ii.541.

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